OP: An Otaku's Ascension
by Kakusei
Summary: What would REALLY happen if someone from our world fell into the world of One Piece? Follow Rainard s journey and see a more realistic take on the self-insert story!
1. Chapter 1

**One Piece: An Otaku's Ascension**

**Disclaimer:** The following is a fan made work of fiction. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Shonen Jump Manga, and Eiichiro Oda. I do not own One Piece or any of its characters. The only thing I own here is Rainard and a few fan characters.

**Summary:** What would REALLY happen if someone from our world fell into the world of One Piece? Follow Rainard`s journey and see!

**Rating:** T for Language, Violence, and Blood.

Now that I`ve got the basics out of the way, I want to apologize to everyone who read my previous fanfic, Brand New World, and the two other attempts I had at re-writing it. When I wrote the Brand New World, I didn`t really have a plan for it, and it was really turning into a Mary Sue story, which is what I didn`t want to happen at all. I kept bending the rules to make my OC awesome, and in the end, he became the last thing I wanted him to be. This time, I`m going to plan this story out, chapter by chapter, and when I`m done, I want this to be a story I can be proud of.

I`m also writing this from a self-inserting perspective, but I`m also going to try to be realistic, so don`t expect my character to be a Mary Sue, and I`m going to try at all lengths not to write a Sue again. (Yes, if you can`t tell by now, I`ve been reading TVTropes pages.)

Even with some of the problems I have, I hope that regularly writing chapters for this story will help me solve some of those problems.

And anyway, let`s get this party started!

**-X-**

The Journey Begins!

Rain falls to a Familiar World!

**-X-**

I sighed as I woke up late, again. Damned depression, made getting out of a warm bed so much harder. I scratched my head as I walked to my glasses and put them on before heading to the john. As I passed the bathroom mirror, I glanced at my reflection, seeing the stubble on my face and the scruffy brown hair that matched my hazel eyes behind the silica glasses. At least I didn`t have classes today.

As I walked out to the fridge, I passed one of my roommates. "Morning Rain," he quipped, briefly looking up from his laptop before returning to what I assumed was Minecraft.

"Morning Curt," I replied as I grabbed a bagel from my food stash. No, my name isn`t Rain, it`s Rainard. Rainard Talbot. I just go by Rain cause it`s easier to say.

As I staggered back to my room to start up my laptop, I passed my other roommate on the way and waved to him, half a bagel still in my mouth. He waved back, going back to planning his D&D session and home-brewing new races and classes. That was Val, short for Valentine, and the guy who was pretty much one of the best friends I`ve had since I got to college. He`d be graduating this semester, and I`d miss him.

After finishing the bagel, I turned my laptop on and hopped in the shower and cleaned up a bit while my laptop booted up, moving quickly to the part where I got dressed. I slid on a sterling silver ring my Grandma had gotten me for my 21st birthday, and she said it was a lucky ring. Lucky indeed, I`d been doing horribly in school lately. I just… lost my drive somehow. Anyway, since it was manga day, I pulled up my local manga site and quickly scoured for One Piece, being the dedicated fan I was.

"Man, this chapter is great!" I cheered to myself, rubbing the ring a bit. "Man, I would give anything to go to the One Piece world and just go on an adventure like the Straw Hats."

I chuckled to myself, knowing it was just the silly wish of an otaku as I continued on to the other mangas I read regularly; not realizing the ring glowed for a split second.

**-X-**

About an hour later, I looked at the clock and realized I had about 10 minutes to make it to my next class. "Shit, I`m gonna be late!"

I grabbed my shoulder bag, which had my basic school stuff as well as my 3DS, DSi, and iPod, and ran out the door. I ran as best I could, but it wasn`t long before I felt exhausted and I was forced to stop to catch my breath.

"Curse… these weak… lungs of mine," I said, panting hard before the world around me went to grayscale. "What the hell?" I looked around and saw that a bird had literally stopped in mid-air. "Is this what a time freeze looks like?"

I didn`t have time to think about it before I felt the ground beneath me vanish. As I quickly looked down, I saw a large black circle below me, leading to an equally black void that I quickly fell in, screaming as anyone falling to what they assume to be their death would.

**-X-**

I assumed it had been a few hours since I fell through that hole. Not that I could tell since my watch had stopped. I had also stopped screaming, since that got boring after about 10 minutes. "Man, never thought I`d be one to end up in a falling void to nowhere…" I commented to myself. "Well, if I ever get back, this will be the most unbelievable excuse ever. 'Yeah, I missed class because I fell into an abyss.' That sounds like I`m telling the truth alright…"

A few more minutes later, I saw a white hole and noticed I was speeding up. As I assumed I got closer to the hole, it got bigger and bigger, and I saw more colors, particularly blue. Lots of blue.

"Okay, I really hope that`s water below me," I said looking on as I finally passed through the hole-portal-thing and saw my surroundings. Unfortunately, I was right. The water was just about 20 miles below me as I fell from the sky.

"SHIIIIIIIIIT!" I screamed as I plummeted to my probable doom. However, to my relief followed by greater fear, a landmass appeared beneath me as I kept falling. As I sped towards the island, I managed to spy a large tower on the nearby island before I hit the shoreline pretty damn hard. I barely managed to open my eyes, seeing a few people gather around me before I passed out.

**-X-**

Not much to say here, just I hope you stay tuned and things will get more exciting next time!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** The following is a fan made work of fiction. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Shonen Jump Manga, and Eiichiro Oda. I do not own One Piece or any of its characters. The only thing I own here is Rainard and a few fan characters.

**-X-**

Pirate Hunter Zoro

**-X-**

"Urgh…" I groaned as I awoke from my pain-induced slumber. Not that waking up was any better. It felt like I had just been pushed through an oversized pasta machine. There were a few bandaged pasted on my body holding down ice packs on what appeared to be bruises. I still was wearing the khaki cargo pants I had worn when I left the house, but my socks and shoes were gone. I noticed my glasses on the dresser and put them on. They seemed to make my vision a bit sharper than normal, and fit a little better as well.

"Where the hell am I?" I asked after taking my personal inventory. I noticed I was in a rather simple room, and my clothes appeared to be folded on a dresser beside my bed, and beside the dresser was my bag. I managed to get up with a little effort, and then managed to walk to the door. As I opened it, I found a woman with brown hair on the other side with what appeared to be a change of clothes.

"Oh, you`re awake!" she said, smiling. "The doctor said you wouldn`t be up for another could of days, so I just wanted to bring you a fresh change of clothes for when you got up."

"Well, thank you miss," I replied, smiling a bit. "My name is Rainard Talbot, but I tend to go by Rain."

"Nice to meet you Rain," the woman replied, walking past me and setting the clothes down. "My name is Ririka."

"Ririka?" I repeated. Where have I heard that name before… "So where am I, er we, at the moment?"

"Well, you`re currently in a spare room in my tavern," she replied, "which is located in Shells Town in the Yotsuba Island Region of the East Blue."

East Blue? "Did you just say the East Blue?" I asked.

"Yes, the East Blue, of the Four Blues?" she asked, looking at me like I was an idiot. "Are you alright?"

"Unless I took a really bad hit to the head, I`m fine," I replied, my bruises still feeling a bit sore.

"Well, you did look pretty bad when my daughter found you, but the doctor didn`t say you had hurt your head," Ririka commented. "Your glasses were also broken, so I had to order a new pair."

"You have a daughter?" I asked, a bit hoping she did. Call it my otaku side wishing for what I thought was happening to actually be happening. "You don`t look the part."

Ririka blushed a bit. "Oh my, thank you," she said, looking a bit at the floor. "But yes, I do. Her name is Rika."

I swallowed a bit, holding back my excitement with a REALLY good bluff check. "Where is she?"

"I left her out front for a bit while I came to give you your clothes," she replied before we heard some dishes breaking. "Oh no!" Ririka dashed out the door, pushing me aside in her frantic worry.

"It can`t be…" I said to myself as I darted after her following her to the front of the tavern. As I matched her, I saw a small girl in shot pigtails with a broom swatting wildly at a wolf eating from a table.

"Rika, get away from there!" Ririka called out. "You don`t want to get us in trouble!"

My eyes quickly darted from the wolf to a BIG amount of purple in the room. And again, I passed my bluff check as I saw the mushroom-hair styled disco wannabe, Helmeppo. My eyes darted back to the wolf as it growled, slowly making its way towards Rika, but was quickly silenced by a barstool slamming into it, knocking it out.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" Helmeppo demanded as the shrieking flamboyant boy turned to the direction of the thrown barstool, swinging his sword around in anger. "Wait a minute… it's you! You're 'Pirate Hunter'** Roronoa Zoro**!"

My eyes quickly darted to Helmeppo`s direction as Ririka ran for her daughter to protect her. And there he was. My otaku side was fan-squealing as I saw the bandana-wearing swordsman, Roronoa Zoro, in the flesh, sitting at the bar, and eating his meal.

"And if I am?" the pirate hunter asked as Helmeppo brandished his sword at him.

"What's a pirate hunter doing defying the Marines, huh?"

"Can it and let me finish my meal in peace."

"RAAH!" Helmeppo cried out as he charged Zoro and swung his sword. Zoro however was unfazed as he let Helmeppo miss and hit the counter, then kicked Helmeppo`s sword out of his hands and embedded it into the ceiling.

"AAAH!" Helmeppo shrieked in terror as Zoro quickly punched him in the face, sending him flying into the wall. THUD!

Zoro drew his Wado Ichimoji and pointed it at Helmeppo`s face. "You`re getting on my nerves, pal," said Zoro as Helmeppo froze up in fear, whimpering like an injured dog. "You and that precious mutt of yours."

"Ahahahaha…" Helmeppo nervously chuckled. "You do realize that if my dad finds out about this, he`ll surely execute the girl and her mother." Zoro`s eyes darted to Rika and Ririka for a second, then back to Helmeppo. "So what do you say to a little deal between men?" Helmeppo slowly rose to his feet, Zoro letting him do so. "In place of those two, we string you up instead. For… say one month. You survive that one month, and I`ll be so nice as to let you live too. What do you say? Sound fair?"

I growled a bit, knowing that he wasn`t going to go for the month. But just as I was about to speak up, Zoro beat me to it.

"I`ll do it," Zoro replied calmly. "One month it is." Zoro let go of his sword, which lightly embedded itself in the floorboards. As the pair of Marines that were Helmeppo`s entourage began arresting Zoro, Helmeppo smirked as he pulled Zoro`s sword out of the ground.

"I think I`ll keep this for myself, and those as well," the prissy man said, grabbing the other two swords and Wado Ichimoji`s sheath from Zoro`s sash. "They`ll make nice trophies for me."

Zoro said nothing, but I could see the anger in his eyes over Helmeppo taking his swords from him.

**-X-**

After the Marines hauled Zoro away and Helmeppo had left, I walked over to Ririka and Rika. "You two alright?" I asked, kneeling down to Rika`s eye level.

Rika nodded. "It`s all that Helmeppo`s fault," she started. "Mr. Zoro stood up for us and he`s being punished for it."

"Rika!" Ririka said as if scolding her daughter.

I simply smiled and patted Rika`s head. "Don`t fret, I`m sure that Helmeppo will get his in the end, and Zoro will be just fine," I said with a big goofy grin on my face.

"Really?" Rika asked, looking hopeful.

"I know so," I answered, standing back up. "Ririka, if it`s alright with you, I`d like to look around town."

"A-alright, just let me get you a pair of sandals and a shirt before you go," Ririka replied, bringing Rika into the back with her before coming out with a pair of worn-looking sandals and the t-shirt she brought me before. "They`re not much, but they`re all I could find." She put the sandals down and I slipped them on before taking the shirt and slipping it over my head. "Some of our customers leave clothes behind after they stay here, so I wash them and hang onto them."

"Well, thank you," I replied, bowing at the waist and walking towards the door. "I`ll be back before dark."

"Please, stay out of trouble," Ririka replied, waving to me a bit before I exited.

**-X-**

Reality

**-X-**

After walking around for a while, passing all the small shops and houses, I found my way to a cliff overlooking the coastline of Shells Town. I took a deep breath, and did something I never did before, but always wanted to.

"I`M IN THE FUCKING WORLD OF **ONE PIECE**!" I yelled to the heavens as loud as I possibly could, causing a few birds to fly away from their perches.

"I can`t believe it, I`m actually in the world of One Piece!" I repeated. "I`m even in the timeline before Luffy saves Zoro! That means I could possibly join his crew! I wonder how I even got here..."

So many questions buzzed through my mind. Was this fate? Did I please the right god or gods or something? Was this like a fanfiction? Wait a minute…

"I wonder if I`m any stronger?" I asked no one as I spied a nearby boulder. It looked rather heavy, and was about my height. "Well, no time like the present to check out what I can do!"

I gleefully walked over to the boulder, squat down, wrapped my arms around it, and heaved. It didn`t budge. I tried again, and it still didn`t budge. I kept trying for like, 3 minutes before I stopped, panting lightly.

"What the hell? In fanfictions, people from our world always get stronger on coming to a different world," I commented. "But then again, that`s also fanfiction. And those people usually have some degree of martial arts training too… Oh shit, does that mean…"

I quickly turned on heel and tried to run back to the tavern, but I only got about 100 meters or so before I had to stop running. My heart was pounding, and my lungs were gasping for air.

"Shit… cardio… is still… an issue…" I wheezed out, trying to take deep breaths as I dropped on my ass. "Okay… so I know that my physical state has gotten no better since I got here… Which means I have anywhere from nine days to three weeks to, at the least, improve my cardio and lung capacity. Great…"

After catching my breath, I walked back to Ririka`s tavern and entered as the sun was setting.

"Oh good, you`re alright," Ririka said as she dried a plate. "Did you get to see the town?"

"I did," I replied. "I`m just gonna drop back to my room for a bit, if that`s fine with you."

"Are you hungry?" Ririka asked as I walked to the door to the back. Before I could answer, my stomach growled quite loudly. "I`ll take that as a yes," she chuckled. "I`ll see what we have and bring it in for you in a bit, alright?"

I nodded, continuing my trip back to my temporary lodgings. "Wait my games!" I said suddenly and quietly as I dashed back to my room and looked in my shoulder bag. My 3DS, DSi, and iPod seemed to be completely unharmed from the crash landing, and they also seemed to be in working order.

"Excuse me," I heard a familiar voice say as I turned to the door, seeing Rika there with a bowl of beef stew over rice. "Are you hungry?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I am," I replied as Rika brought the bowl over to me. It was a bit hot, but the food smelled delicious. "Thanks for bringing this to me Rika."

"You`re welcome Mister!" she replied, beaming in happiness. As I was about to take my first bite, she spoke up again. "What`s your name?"

"My name`s Rainard Talbot, but most people just call me Rain," I replied, setting the food aside so we could talk.

"Nice to meet you Mister Rain!" she said happily. "Are you feeling better?"

"Since I was able to get out of bed, I think so," I replied, chuckling.

Rika beamed again. "Good! I helped change some of your bandages!"

"Well thank you Rika," I replied. "Can you go get me a glass of water?"

"Sure!" she replied, running out of the room.

"Cute kid," I replied, digging into the delicious rice and beef stew.

**-X-**

While he may be finally living the dream, looks like Rain has to earn his place among the Straw Hats before he can really get going!

Please rate, review, and stay tuned to An Otaku's Ascension!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** The following is a fan made work of fiction. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Shonen Jump Manga, and Eiichiro Oda. I do not own One Piece or any of its characters. The only thing I own here is Rainard and a few fan characters.

**-X-**

Boar Hunting

**-X-**

During one of my morning jogs, I saw a moderately sized ship come to the docks. The ship was bearing a Jolly Roger, and the men seemed rather… gruff-looking. As long as they didn`t cause trouble, there was no reason to be worried.

"Well, nothing new," I said to myself. "People come into port all the time." As I resumed my jog, one of the pirates bumped into me.

"Hey!" he called out, making me stop and turn to look at him. He was a rather imposing looking man with a black goatee, short cut black hair, and a diagonal scar over his nose. He wore a dark brown trench coat and a rather simple necklace with a gold circular pendant on the front of it. He had a cutlass strapped to his side and a wrapped package on his back. "Don`t you think you owe me an apology?"

"Now why do I owe you an apology?" I asked calmly.

"For bumping into me of course!" he replied arrogantly. He walked over to me and stared me down. "You bumped into me, and you owe me an apology." I simply looked at him, unfazed by his threats. He glared and drew his cutlass, pointing it at my throat, making my eyes go wide. "I said… you owe me an apology."

"I`m sorry," I replied calmly but slightly terrified. He grinned and put his cutlass away.

"Good boy. We don`t want any trouble, just some supplies and food. Gerahahahahahaha!" He walked away, laughing his head off.

"Jackass," I muttered under my breath, resuming my jog.

**-X-**

When I returned to the tavern after my jog that jackass and his buddies were there getting drunk and making trouble for Ririka. I sighed as I went in back quietly and changed into a light blue tank top, khaki cargo pants, and a new pair of brown boots that went up to my shins. When I came back out, that jackass from earlier was hitting on Ririka.

"Oi, missy, you sure you don`t wanna have a little fun before we go?" the gruff-looking pirate leader said, getting closer to Ririka.

"N-no sir, I don`t," Ririka replied. The pirate slammed his hand on the counter, apparently somewhat sobering up.

"OI! You better pony up or else!" he flipped out a wanted poster which had his face on it from his trench coat. "I`m 'Black Boar' Inoshi! I`m worth 5 million β and I`ll have my men ransack this place and kill everyone in it if I don`t get what I want!"

"'Black Boar' Inoshi?" I called out in a loud voice as Inoshi turned around. "Funny, you just look plain pig-headed to me."

"What was that?!" he growled. "Oi… you`re that rude kid from earlier. What`s the matter? Got a death wish or something?"

"No, I just like shutting up arrogant idiots like you," I replied, making Inoshi only angrier. Why the hell was I saying that? I was only making things worse!

"Grrrr… you`ll pay for that boy!" he roared, pulling his cutlass out. "Get `im men!"

The pirates in the tavern roared to life as I ducked out of the tavern, leading them away from Ririka`s workplace.

"Okay, so I just managed to piss off a band of pirates," I said to myself. "They have more fighters, and obviously decent weapons. I, on the other hand, have amateur training I taught myself and about two week's practice. Well, here`s to hoping anime laws and tropes kick in…"

I turned around when I got to a large open area, my training having really paid off. I dunno if it was the cleaner air or healthier diet, but I had shot into a physically fit version of myself. About two weeks ago, I had started putting what I knew about fighting to use, brushing up on my small amount of Katas from Tae Kwon Do and the techniques I had picked up from watching them be used and explained. I also began tying logs to my arms and legs to use as training weights, weighing my limbs down and making it harder to move. Looks like all that effort had paid off. The pirates quickly charged me, but for some reason, their movements seemed slow. I saw every opening.

"Perfect," I commented, disarming the first pirate and kicking him into a few of his mates. A pair charged me this time and I dodged their attacks before knocking their heads together, letting them slump to the ground. A very large pirate with a bandana wound up for a knockout punch, until I socked him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him long enough to have my knee meet his jaw, sending him flying. The pirate's group rage seemed to die down, sobering up as their captain Inoshi came forward.

"You`re no ordinary man, are you?" he asked, growling.

"Nah, I`m just a guy trying to get by and keep on living," I replied nonchalantly. Thank god for Anime Law # 62… and conservation of Nijuitsu.

"That`s a load of bull! You`re obviously a bounty hunter who's after my bounty!" Inoshi replied, snorting a bit.

"Nah, I`ve been here a few weeks now, and you just got here," I replied. "So maybe it was you coming after me?"

"Yeah right!" Inoshi laughed. "Tell me your name so they can put it on your gravestone!"

"Rain Talbot," I replied, glaring at him a bit. "You`ll have to remember it after I kick your ass."

Inoshi looked at me for a moment, and then burst out laughing. Of course, the first time I try to be serious in this world and I get laughed at. "Gerahahahahaha! You`re killing me kid! Never heard of you in my life! You must be some rookie bounty hunter looking for a big kill! Tell you what, I`ll make this interesting." Inoshi then grabbed the wrapped package off his back and tossed it at me. "We`ll have a duel among men. You can use that old sword there, and I`ll use mine."

I unwrapped the package Inoshi tossed me and found a katana with a light blue sheath and wrapping with a hexagonal hand guard that had a snowflake engraved in it, which was also patterned on the sheath. I was getting an odd feeling from it, like it was… happy to be in my hands.

"I was gonna sell it in town before we left, but for some darn reason, the sword shop wouldn`t take it!" Inoshi continued, laughing. "I`m feeling sporting today, so he`s the rules. We`ll fight with these swords, and if you win, I`ll take my men and our supplies and go. But if I win… I get to kill you and do whatever I please in that tavern."

Way to set the stakes high. "Alright, sounds fair," I replied, putting the katana at my waist and putting my hand lightly on the hilt.

"_Fat lot of good that sword will do him,"_ Inochi thought to himself. _"No one in my crew has been able to draw that sword! It must be rusted shut! This will be like taking candy from a baby."_

"Ready when you are pig-head," I replied, making Inochi growl.

"My name is 'Black Boar' INOCHI!" the pirate captain roared, drawing his cutlass and swinging it down on me. Again, the world seemed to go into slow motion as I drew the katana. Inochi froze as he saw the blade shimmer in the sunlight. "It`s… it`s in perfect… condition…" he uttered as I swung at his face. He leapt back in fear before he passed out, blood dripping down his face. I had turned his diagonal scar into an X shape.

"C-captain!" the pirates cried out.

I took a quick glance at the blade, smiling at how pristine it was. "Y`know, you guys better get outta here. Captain Morgan will haul you all in for piracy."

"C-C-C-CAPTAIN MORGAN?!" the pirates all screamed in unison. They quickly grabbed their unconscious captain and ran off in a typical anime fashion, leaving a large dust cloud behind as they sailed out of port. I smirked as I sheathed my new sword and wrapped it up, heading back to the tavern.

"Not bad for my first real battle," I commented as the people looked on in awe.

**-X-**

His Name is Monkey D. Luffy

**-X-**

As I got back to the tavern, I heard the clattering of plates, as if someone was eating a ton of food. My inner fanboy squealed like a pig as I saw a familiar straw hat sitting at one of the tables with a pink-haired boy.

"Oh, Rain, I`m glad you`re back," Ririka called out. "Can you help move some of that boy`s dishes to the kitchen?"

"Yeah, I got it Ririka," I replied, being my usual helpful self. I went back and dropped off my sword and picked up a platter, walking back out and carrying off the entirety of Luffy`s plates on one tray. Coby looked astounded as I walked back to the kitchen flawlessly and got them all in the kitchen by the sink. As I walked back out, my katana on my back again, Coby stared at me for a minute and Luffy was still stuffing his face. "Ririka, I need to run to the weapon shop for a second. I`ll be back in a few."

"Alright Rain," she replied before Luffy`s attention turned to me as I walked out, the rubber man momentarily stopping his gluttonous feast.

**-X-**

I quickly ran over to the local weapon shop. "Hello?"

"Oh, hello there Rain," the owner replied. He was a middle-aged man with a few graying hairs on the sides of his head, giving him that Reed Richards look. "What can I do for you today?"

"So some guy tried to sell a sword in here earlier, right?" I asked.

"Yes, but I couldn`t buy it," he replied. "How did you know?"

I pulled the package off my back and unwrapped it. "Cause he practically gave it to me."

"My word… how did this happen?" he asked.

"Long story short, that idiot was making a mess of Ririka`s tavern, and after a little goading, I dragged him outside and he challenged me to a duel," I replied. "I drew this sword he gave me, gave him a parting scar, and they ran at the words 'Captain Morgan'. What`s the problem with that?"

"The problem is I didn`t honestly have enough money to buy it from him," the man replied. "That`s a Great Grade sword, Shunsetsu. It`s said to be very picky about its wielder, and won`t even be drawn by someone it considers to be unworthy."

"But I was able to draw it just fine," I stated calmly. "So then it likes me?"

"As best I can tell Rain," the owner replied, looking at the sword. "Can I see it unsheathed?"

"Sure," I replied, drawing Shunsetsu and gently holding its side with the back of my hand.

"Amazing… it truly is a masterwork sword," he replied. "Never in all my years of working as a weapon shop owner have I seen a sword this clean and this grade… Consider yourself very lucky Rain. Finding Shunsetsu was no mere coincidence."

I sheathed Shunsetsu and smiled. "I`ll remember that," I replied, re-packaging the sword and bowing to the owner. "Thank you for telling me about it."

"Wait, at least let me give you a proper sword belt so you can wear that sword with pride!" the owner interjected, running to the back and bringing out a thick blue cloth belt to run through the rope that was tied onto the sheath through. "Please, take it."

I nodded, putting the belt on. "I promise you I`ll wear Shunsetsu with pride after I leave this village. I don`t think Captain Morgan would like me walking around with a sword on my side." I bowed at the waist and turned, leaving the shop with Shunsetsu still packaged to see what Luffy was doing.

**-X-**

As I neared the tavern, I saw Luffy and Coby walking back with Rika, and I decided to walk over to them. "Rika, where were you?" I asked the small girl.

"N-nowhere big brother Rain…" she replied, trying to lie to me.

"That`s not true, you were at the Marine Base trying to give a rice ball to Zoro," Luffy blurted out, making Coby and Rika look a bit shocked.

"Wow, you`re worse at lying than I am," I laughed. "So what happened?"

"Well, she tried to give them to Zoro, then that weird guy with the blonde hair came in and took them from her before stomping them into the ground," Coby explained. "Then he had her thrown over the courtyard wall."

"Rika, how many times has your mother told you not to go there?" I asked her in a calm voice.

"But it`s all that stupid Helmeppo`s fault!" Rika argued. "And you`ve snuck him food too! I wanted to help him."

I sighed. "Next time tell me first. I would have gone with you," I replied before looking to Luffy. "Thanks for looking after her."

"No problem," the straw hat-wearing pirate replied, smiling goofily as usual. "I`m Monkey D. Luffy. Who`re you?"

"I`m Rainard Talbot, but I go by Rain," I replied, shaking Luffy`s hand.

"I`m Coby," Coby added in. "You sure must be strong."

"What makes you say that?" I asked.

"The way you handled all of those dishes earlier," Coby replied. "I didn`t think anyone could carry those all at once."

"Eh, it`s nothing," I replied. "Nothing compared to what some pirates can do."

"So do you know why Zoro's tied up there?" Coby asked.

"I do, but I think Rika can fill you in a bit better. I was half asleep at the time," I replied.

**-X-**

"It`s been three weeks since that day," Rika said, finishing her story about how Zoro protected her from Helmeppo's wolf and then took the fall for them. "Helmeppo keeps punching and kicking him when he's tied up. He's being so unfair!"

"I`ve been sneaking him food every now and again, but still, Helmeppo's just being an arrogant asshole who can't fight unless someone else can't fight back," I added in.

"I see…" Coby said before the sound of crashing plates came from inside the tavern inside the tavern. We all rushed to the door to see Helmeppo with his gaudy white shoes on the table.

"I`m hungry!" Helmeppo demanded. "So why don`t you let us all eat for free! And bring me some booze!"

I managed to spy out of the corner of my eye a girl with bright orange hair and a white top with blue stripes patterning it. "Quit dawdling! Hurry up!" Helmeppo ordered, drawing my attention back to him.

Luffy walked a bit closer than the rest of us as Rika poured Helmeppo a glass of wine.

"Oh yes… I`ve been bored lately," Helmeppo bragged, "so I`ve decided to have Roronoa Zoro executed tomorrow. You all should look forward to it!"

While Helmeppo laughed it up, Luffy seemed to freeze for a second before he dashed across the room and nailed Helmeppo in the jaw, sending him flying across the room. I ran up behind Luffy and caught his hat just before Helmeppo hit the wall.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Helmeppo whined as he held where Luffy punched him.

"Luffy-san! Stop!" Coby yelled as he tried to hold the rubberman back.

"This guy is scum!" Luffy retorted.

"Y-you just hit me!" Helmeppo complained. "I`m Captain Morgan's son you know!"

"So what?!" Luffy snapped.

"I-I`m gonna tell my dad, and he`s gonna execute you!" Helmeppo cried as he began tearing up.

"Just fight me yourself!" Luffy challenged.

"Luffy-san, calm down!" Coby pleaded. "Are you trying to get on the Navy's bad side?!"

"I`ve made up my mind, Coby," Luffy stated. "I`m gonna ask Zoro to join my crew!"

**-X-**

And now we join the official timeline of the story. Next chapter, Luffy will get a new crewmate, and they'll square off with Captain Morgan (not the beverage).

By the way, Shunsetsu means 'Spring Snow' in case anyone's wondering.

Stay tuned!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** The following is a fan made work of fiction. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Shonen Jump Manga, and Eiichiro Oda. I do not own One Piece or any of its characters. The only thing I own here is Rainard and a few fan characters.

**-X-**

Marine Captain "Axe Hand" Morgan

**-X-**

"This is bad!" someone in the tavern shouted. "He actually hit Helmeppo!"

"Luffy-san, calm yourself!" Coby yelled, still holding Luffy back. "They're Marines!"

"I don`t care! A bastard is still a bastard, no matter who his father is!" Luffy growled, still looking to punch Helmeppo again.

"Y-you dare to hit me…" Helmeppo whined, "My own father hasn't even hit me once! I'm the beloved son of Captain Morgan! I'll tell on you!" The crowd winced as the two Marines acting as his body guards lifted the crying bitch up off the ground.

"Why don't you fight me yourself?!" Luffy growled at Helmeppo.

"Luffy-san, don`t do this!" Coby objected, still managing to hold him back.

"You'll regret hitting me," Helmeppo said, glaring at Luffy over a Marine's shoulder. "You'll get the death sentence… And I'll be sure my father is the one who does it! YOU BASTARD!"

Luffy finally calmed down enough for Coby to let him go, but was still pretty angry.

"It's meaningless hitting a guy like him," Luffy stated, still upset Helmeppo ran off like a pussy.

"I know, but he needed to be shut up," I replied, handing Luffy his hat. "Here's your hat back."

"Thanks," Luffy replied, putting his Straw Hat back on.

"He just ran away…" Coby said, looking at Helmeppo being carried off by the two Marines.

"That was so cool!" Rika said, smiling at Luffy.

"Really? Then I should have hit him a few more times," Luffy snickered.

"Rika! Get away from them!" Ririka cried out, ushering her daughter away from Luffy. "If you stick around those people, the Marines might think you're friends with them and kill you too."

After Ririka and Rika were gone, Luffy, Coby, and I walked out of the tavern.

"This is bad!" Coby whimpered. "We're in big trouble! If the Captain gets mad, he'll send the Marines after us!"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Luffy replied, unfazed. "I`m gonna go talk to Zoro."

"Mind if I join you?" I asked, unwrapping Shunsetsu's packaging and attaching it to my new cloth belt. "I'd like to help get him outta there."

"You sure?" Luffy asked. "If you fight the Marines, you'll become a criminal."

"Being a criminal's fine by me," I replied, smirking. "Besides, I've wanted to have an adventure and see the world for as long as I can remember."

"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed. "Sounds like a good dream! Let's go then!"

"Wait, you two are going to the Marine base to talk Zoro, the _Pirate Hunter_, into joining Luffy's crew?!" Coby asked. "That's suicide!"

"Nah, I don't think we`ll die today," I replied, walking off with Luffy. "It`s not a good day to die."

**-X-**

When Luffy and I got to the Marine courtyard, we looked at Zoro, who I knew was having a flashback.

"Is he sleeping?" Luffy asked me.

"Nah, he`s just probably reminiscing about his past or something," I replied, Zoro`s attention being drawn to us.

"What`re you doing here?" Zoro asked. "You should get out of here before you end up like that little girl."

"She`s fine, thanks for asking," I replied as I hopped over the fence, Luffy following shortly.

"You again?" Zoro continued, looking at Luffy. "You sure have a lot of free time."

"I'll untie you, so join my crew!" Luffy bluntly stated.

"Say what?" Zoro asked.

"Way to be subtle there Luffy," I commented.

"I`m looking for people to join my pirate crew," Luffy continued.

"No way, I`m not gonna be a criminal like a pirate," Zoro stated.

"What's wrong with being a pirate?" Luffy asked.

"They`re despicable," replied Zoro, "As if I`d ever be one." He then turned to me. "And you're part of that tavern owner's family, right? Why put yourself in this kinda trouble?"

"Well, for one, they just helped me get back on my feet after I had a messy fall-out," I replied. "They were just nice enough to help me."

"Come on already," Luffy begged, "everyone already knows you as a vicious bounty hunter out for blood."

"I don`t care what people think!" Zoro snapped, immune to Luffy's encouragement. "I haven`t done one thing I regretted in the past and I won't do so in the future! I WON`T BECOME A PIRATE!"

"Sorry," Luffy continued, "but i`ve already decided. You`re gonna join my crew!"

"Don`t decide that for yourself!" Zoro growled at Luffy,

"Luffy, you`re going about this all wrong," I interjected, making Zoro and Luffy turn to me. "When you`re trying to make a deal with someone, you can`t just demand what you want. You`ve got to have something they want in return." I walked up to Zoro. "For example, Zoro would be a much more fearsome swordsman if he had his swords back."

"You…" Zoro growled at me.

"So where are they?" Luffy asked.

"Helmeppo took them off Zoro when he was arrested," I stated.

"That bastard kid…" Zoro commented. "I treasure those swords almost as much as my life…"

"Hear that Luffy?" I asked, smirking.

"Ohh!" Luffy said, finally getting it. "Then I`ll go get them for you! But if you want them back, you`ll have to join my crew!"

"You dirty little rat!" Zoro yelled at Luffy.

Luffy smiled and ran off, laughing. "See you soon!"

"Luffy, the tower's the other way," I said, sighing as I pointed over my shoulder.

"Oh, right," agreed Luffy as he turned around and headed to the base.

"Is he really planning on sneaking into the base?" Zoro asked me. "What a fool…"

"I doubt he does a lot of planning," I replied. "He seems the more do-as-you-go type."

"And what about you?" Zoro asked me.

I paused for a moment. "I should probably go help him. If I don`t we might have the entire base on us in moments." I walked off, Zoro taking a quick glance at my sword.

**-X-**

Luffy and I stood in the middle of the Marine base, which seemed deserted besides us.

"That`s strange. There aren`t any Marines around…" observed Luffy. "Are they having a meeting?"

"Seems odd to me," I added in. "Even if they were, I`d assume they'd have SOMEONE patrolling the area."

"Never mind those swords, I can`t even find that bastard son like this…" Luffy said, sighing a bit.

"Well, let's split up and cover more ground," I suggested. "If one of us finds Helmeppo, we can get him to tell us where Zoro's swords are."

"Okay," Luffy simply replied as we split up.

**-X-**

A bit later, I was sneaking in through an open window in the Marine base. "I`ve got to keep my influence in this world low. If I make one small change, it could butterfly effect and alter the future for the worse."

Rule #1 of time travel in any form: Altering the time line in any way, no matter how small, will most likely cause the worst possible outcome. And if I was to keep my heads-up of what was gonna happen in the One Piece world, I had to let major events happen, no matter how bad they were.

Unfortunately, my easy movement would be hindered by a large crashing sound, followed by what sounded like stone breaking. That would be Morgan's symbol of grandeur…

I tried my best to quietly make my way through the Marine base after that, until a Marine came around a corner and spotted me.

"Hey!" he yelled out before I gave him a knock-out punch, dropping him to the ground.

"Okay, now what?" I said, looking around and hearing more footsteps coming my way. I quickly spied a supply closet and grinned. "So cliché, but when in Rome…"

**-X-**

A few minutes later, I walked out of the supply closet wearing the Marine's uniform and hat over my clothes, leaving only my boots and cargo pants showing. The Marine whose uniform I pilfered was bound and gagged, still unconscious in the supply closet. Shunsetsu was strapped to my back in its packaging again, and I casually walked along until a Marine stopped me.

"Where are you going? We have to catch that intruder!" he yelled at me.

"I have to go to Captain Morgan's office and drop off this sword first," I replied. "It was offered by one of the shops instead of money they couldn`t pay with."

"Better get that over there then," he replied. "In case you forgot, it`s the second door on the left on the third floor. But get right back to finding that intruder or Morgan will have your head."

I saluted the Marine and walked off casually, smirking to myself over being sneaky for once. I easily made my way to Morgan's office undiscovered. When I got there, I found the door ajar slightly and I quietly opened the door.

The first thing I saw was a pair of Marines bound and gagged.

"Didn`t figure Morgan was into that," I said quietly as I continued opening the door to find a certain orange-haired girl trying to crack a safe.

**-X-**

The Pirate King, the Master Swordsman, and the Adventurer

**-X-**

"Mind telling me what you're doing with two Marines tied up and in Captain Morgan's room?" I asked, startling the girl before me.

"Shit…" she uttered under her breath. "Another marine…"

I laughed as I took the Marine cap off. "Relax, you`re fine," I replied, shedding the jacket I was wearing as well and unwrapping Shunsetsu from its cover. "I'm probably the farthest thing from a Marine right now."

"You mean you're a pirate?" the girl asked frowning a bit as I put Shunsetsu on my belt again.

"No, I'm not a pirate," I replied. "But you don't exactly look like a Marine yourself, having tied up two other Marines."

"I… uh… well, damn it," she said, sighing a bit in dismay.

"Gotcha," I replied, chuckling a bit. "So what's your name?"

She stared at me. "I don't have to tell you if I don't want to," she replied, huffing a bit as she turned back towards the safe.

"Then I'm just gonna assume you don't have one and keep calling you 'Thief'," I replied, smirking. "So what're you here for Miss Thief?"

"My name's not 'Thief', it`s Nami!" she snapped back, baring what looked like sharpened teeth. "And I only rob Pirates, got that?!"

"Pleasure to meet you Nami, I`m Rainard Talbot," I replied kindly, much to her shock, "but you can just call me Rain."

We looked at each other and I finally got a good look at Nami. She was wearing a white shirt with blue stripes running down it, and a dark blue skirt with rings on her hips. She was also wearing a pair of heeled sandals, which she seemed to have no trouble walking and moving in. Not to be perverted, but she really had a knockout figure. Nothing compared to her future self, but she'd fill out.

"So then what do you do?" she asked. "I saw you working in the tavern as a waiter."

"Waiter, emergency cook, dishwasher, I've done a lot of things, but really, I'm an adventurer," I replied, smiling. "My dream is to see the world and experience as much as I can with a group of good friends."

Nami looked a bit distracted when she heard me talking about my dream. "That… sounds nice," she replied, resuming her more positive face. "So besides being a chore boy, what are you doing here?"

"I was looking to break into Morgan's safe and get some cash for the road before I left town," I replied. "Lord knows I'll need it."

Nami briefly eyed the sword at my waist, then focused back on me and smirked a bit. "You know… I happen to be an excellent Navigator," she said in a bit of a teasing voice. "Maybe we can strike up a deal…"

"A deal?" I asked, looking at her quizzically. "What kind of deal?"

"Well, I can get us from island to island, and you can take care of any bad guys that come our way," Nami replied in a cutesy voice, walking up to me with her hips obviously swaying from side to side. "And we split the treasure we find, 50-50." She gently tapped a finger on my chest, causing me to blush a bit. "What do you say?" she batted her light brown eyes at me, looking up at me and pouting a bit.

"I… uh… well…" I stuttered, swallowing hard and trying to look away from Nami before I heard a gunshot from outside. "Shit, Coby! Sorry Nami, but I have some people to help out!"

I dashed out of the room and ran back the way I came to get down to a lower floor.

Okay, let me get one thing straight right now. When girls flirt with me I usually don't know it. Hell, I`ve had one or two girls flirt right in my face and I couldn`t tell. But that… was too damn obvious. I probably would have gotten a nosebleed if I hadn't run out of there. And I suck at talking to girls anyway. Well, girls I`m not trying to romance or who are romancing me. My mind briefly shot back to Nami acting all flirty with me, shaking my head to focus back on getting out to the Marine courtyard.

**-X-**

As soon as I scrambled out the nearest door, I heard gunfire, glass breaking, and then a slight stretching sound. I smirked as I appeared between Luffy and the Marines just as Luffy shot back the bullets they had used on him.

"It's no use!" Luffy declared as he stood strong against the bullets, one grazing by Captain Morgan's face while one whizzed by my head. "Hahahaha! That won't work on me! Told ya I was strong!"

"Oi Luffy!" I yelled as I walked closer to the rubber man in spite of the on-looking stunned Marines and Zoro. "Watch where the hell you're aiming those next time, you almost hit me."

"W-who the hell _are_ you?" Zoro asked.

"My name's Monkey D. Luffy!" Luffy stated, introducing himself. "The man who's gonna be King of the Pirates!" Luffy turned to Zoro and pulled the three swords off his back. "So which one is your treasured sword? I couldn't figure it out, so I brought all three of them."

"They're all mine," clarified Zoro. "I practice _Santoryu_, the three-sword style."

"If you fight against the Marines, you`ll become an outlaw," Luffy stated. "But you could obey the law and let them kill you here."

"Are you the Devil's spawn?" Zoro asked while smiling. "Fine… if it's between dying here and becoming a pirate… I`LL BECOME A PIRATE!"

**-X-**

Looks like things are heating up for our resident adventurer.

Next time, the trio will fight the power-mad Captain Morgan and his Marines for the first time together, and set off!

Until next time, and stay tuned!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** The following is a fan made work of fiction. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Shonen Jump Manga, and Eiichiro Oda. I do not own One Piece or any of its characters. The only thing I own here is Rainard and a few fan characters.

**-X-**

The First Crewmember

**-X-**

"Yes!" Luffy cheered as he did a short jig, still holding Zoro`s swords. "Now we`re Nakama!"

"Alright, now hurry up and cut these ropes," Zoro said, trying to get Luffy back on track.

"What is he?" one of the Marines asked. "Those bullets bounced right off him!"

"That brat is no normal human…" Morgan said grimly. "He must have eaten one of the 'Devil Fruit'!"

"He ate one of the ocean's secret treasures?" inquired a Marine. "Then his ability is because of the fruit!"

"Captain! He`s untying Zoro's ropes!" another Marine pointed out.

"Don`t let him untie those ropes!" ordered Morgan. "If guns won`t work, then use swords!"

"Well shit," I remarked, running towards Luffy and Zoro as the Marines drew their swords.

"Damn these knots are tough," Luffy complained as he struggled with the knot.

"C`mon, hurry up!" Zoro ordered as Coby finally managed to wake up from being shot.

"I think I just made it tighter," Luffy uttered as he continued to struggle.

"We don`t have time for this!" Zoro snapped as I got closer.

"Luffy, Zoro, watch out!" Coby yelled as I drew my sword.

"Luffy, move it!" I commanded as I slashed free one of Zoro`s arms.

"Quick, gimme my swords!" Zoro ordered. Luffy handed Zoro his three katana and I continued to free his other arm as the Marines closed in.

"These brats…" Morgan growled. "ALL WHO OPPOSE ME MUST PERISH!"

'**SHING!' 'KLANG!'** With one final slash I had cut the ropes holding Zoro to the center pole, allowing him to hold back the eight Marines who charged forward with just his three swords.

"WHAT THE…" Morgan shouted.

Coby stared at Zoro in speechless shock.

"So cool!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Awesome," I commented as I sheathed Shunsetsu.

"The next one who moves dies," Zoro growled as he held Wado Ichimoji in his teeth, intimidating the Marines.

"Alright, I`ll be a pirate," Zoro admitted. "I gave you my word and I never go back on it. But I still have a goal! I will become the World's Greatest Swordsman! I don`t care if my name is famous or infamous, but I will make my name known worldwide! And if you do anything to get in my way of that goal, you`ll be on the business end of my swords."

"The World's Greatest Swordsman," Luffy echoed with a smile. "That`s perfect. It`s fitting since your new Captain is going to be the King of the Pirates. Anything else would make me look bad."

"Heh," Zoro chuckled. "Well said."

"Damn right," I added in. "I`m going to see the entire world and live the greatest adventure this or any world has ever known."

"What`re you doing standing around?!" Morgan roared. "Hurry up and kill them!"

"Zoro, duck!" Luffy ordered as he swung his leg back. "Gum-Gum… WHIP!" Luffy threw his leg forward, making it stretch out and knock down all the Marines Zoro was holding back, to Morgan`s shock and my amusement.

"Incredible!" Coby said in awe.

"What the devil are you?" Zoro asked, turning to Luffy.

"I`m a Rubber Man!" Luffy replied, swinging his leg in the air.

"R-rubber Man?!" a Marine repeated in fear.

"Captain, we can`t fight that rubber monster!" another Marine objected. "Let alone the demon Zoro!"

"And what about that third guy?" a third Marine pointed out. "He hasn`t even done anything yet!"

"Well, he`s with those monsters, so he HAS to be tough!" the second Marine concluded.

"Whoever was just complaining now, you will take out your gun and shoot yourself!" Morgan roared. "THAT`S AN ORDER!"

We all watched as the Marines fearfully took out their smallest guns and pointed it at their heads, my personal rage building.

"That bastard…" I growled under my breath.

"What the hell do those Marines think they`re doing?!" Zoro asked, leaning forward to attack.

Luffy beat him to the punch though, and shot through the Marines, yelling, "We're your enemy, so go ahead and try to kill us!"

I stayed back, letting Luffy leap over the Marines and attack Captain Morgan. The Marines froze, letting down their guns as Zoro took Wado Ichimoji out of his mouth.

"Luffy-san… please defeat these Marines!" Coby pleaded as Morgan blocked Luffy`s punch with his axe prosthetic and Luffy jumped back.

"People without status…" Morgan stated, throwing his Captain's coat off, "have no right to oppose me! I AM CAPTAIN AXE-HAND MORGAN!"

"Nice to meet you," Luffy replied calmly. "I`m Straw-Hat Luffy."

"DIE!" Morgan exclaimed as he swung his axe at Luffy`s head. Luffy leapt over the slash and landed as Morgan hefted the axe above his head.

As Morgan brought the axe down, Luffy dodged sideways and let the axe embed itself in the ground, making a small fissure where the attack made contact. While Morgan's axe was in the ground, Luffy leapt into the air and stomped into Morgan`s face, sending the Marine Captain skidding on the ground.

"You little bastard!" Morgan roared as he quickly recovered. Luffy again charged Morgan as he grabbed the protrusion at his elbow, intending to put all his power into the next axe swing.

Morgan brought the axe down into the ground again, Luffy rolling to the side to dodge and easily doing so. He smirked as he kicked Morgan in the face again, sending him flying again.

The Marines could only stare in awe as the Captain they feared for so long was being kicked around like a hacky-sack. Luffy grabbed Morgan`s collar and wound up a punch. "You Marines are ruining Coby`s dream!" Luffy swung at Morgan`s face, punching him in the face. **'POW!'** Luffy then wound up another punch.

"STOP!" we heard a familiar shrieking voice cry out. Luffy ignored it, however, and punched Morgan again. "I SAID 'STOP' YOU IDIOT!"

We all looked to see Helmeppo holding a gun to Coby's head. "Pay attention! I have a HOSTAGE here!"

Everyone froze during the tense situation. Zoro and I were closer to Coby and Helmeppo than Luffy, who had just let go of Captain Morgan.

"If you value this guy's life, don`t move!" Helmeppo ordered, his legs shaking. "One false move and I`ll blow his brains out!"

A few second passed, and Luffy only replied to Helmeppo`s demands with a grin. Coby instantly relaxed, even with a gun near his temple.

"Luffy," Coby stated with a voice of courage, "I don`t want to stand in your way! Even if it means dying!"

"Yeah, I know," Luffy replied with a grin. "You stupid bastard, Coby Isn`t afraid to die! Go ahead and shoot!"

"Oh please, he couldn`t shoot that pistol even if he wanted to," I stated, causing Helmeppo to look at me.

"H-hey! I told you no one moves or I shoot the little brat!" Helmeppo said, still quaking in his boots.

"Then you must be ready to die too," I replied, causing Helmeppo to freeze up.

"D-die?" he echoed.

"If you pull that trigger, you`re telling me that you`re not only willing to kill, but to be killed for it," I digressed, slowly walking towards Helmeppo. "Ever since I got here, I`ve seen you letting other people do your work for you…"

"W-what?" Helmeppo asked shakily, lowering the gun a bit. "What are you talking about?"

"You used your dad`s name to strike terror into people, you scared them by letting a wolf run around, and you had the Marines do anything you didn`t want to do yourself," I stated, continuing my slow stride. "Honestly, that kind of abuse pisses me off."

I glared at Helmeppo and he shivered in fear, moving the gun away from Coby's head.

"For three weeks I sat by and was forced to watch you terrorize the good people of this island, and it made my stomach turn," I rambled. "And now I think it`s about time I let some of the anger out in a positive manner. Right in your face."

"S-stop right there!" Helmeppo ordered, gaining enough sense to point the gun back at Coby`s head. "I-I`ll shoot him, I swear!"

"You shoot him, I kill you," I growled as a smile hit Helmeppo`s face.

"Luffy, behind you!" Coby remarked as I heard Morgan`s growling voice.

"I am Marine Captain 'Axe-Hand' Morgan!" Morgan growled as I dashed at Helmeppo.

"Daddy, kill him!" Helmeppo shrieked as he tried to move the gun at me. He didn`t have the time as I threw an uppercut at that cleft chin of his, knocking a tooth out. That punch sent him hurtling into the sky a foot or two before he fell splayed on his back.

"Nice!" Luffy commented as Morgan jerked still, and then fell backward behind Luffy, a trio of slash marks running across his chest. Zoro had cut down Morgan as I had knocked out Helmeppo. "Thanks Zoro."

"My pleasure, _Captain_," Zoro commented.

"You too Rain," Luffy added, smiling at me.

I smirked as I gave him a quick two-finger salute.

**-X-**

Friends

**-X-**

"The Captain lost!" one of the Marine bystanders gasped. "Captain Morgan has been defeated!"

"If you still want to arrest us, come and get us," Zoro challenged the remaining Marines. They all looked at each other before throwing up their weapons in joy and celebrating.

"YES!" several of the Marines yelled. "We`re free!"

"We`re out of Morgan`s control!"

"LONG LIVE THE MARINES!"

"What`s going on?" Luffy asked. "They seem to be happy their Captain was defeated."

"Everyone hated Morgan, even his own men," I commented. "Doesn`t take much to hate a power-mad asshole like that."

We all saw Zoro hit the ground with a **'THWUMP!'**, telling us that his adrenaline had worn off and his days without food had caught up with him.

**-X-**

"Man, I`m full!" Zoro admitted happily, patting his stomach. "Not eating regularly for three weeks was worse than I thought!"

"See, you would never have lasted a month," commented Luffy still stuffing his face, fork in hand.

"You`re one to talk," Zoro quipped. "You`re still eating!"

"I`d rather eat regularly than not," I replied. "I`ve been down that road before."

"Even I ate quite a bit," Coby said sheepishly.

"Don`t worry about it," Ririka said. "You saved our town, it`s the least I can do!"

"You`re so strong Big Bro!" Rika commented.

"Yep! I`m strong alright!" Luffy said with puffed cheeks like a chipmunk. "And I`ll keep getting stronger!"

"So what's next?" Zoro asked.

"We`re heading for the Grand Line!" Luffy answered excitedly.

"What?! That's suicide!" Coby objected. "The two of you wouldn`t last a day in the Grand Line!"

"He`s got a point Luffy," I added in. "There are both Pirates and Marines way stronger than Captain Morgan, and you only just got your First Mate. If you`re going to even THINK about going to the Grand Line, not only do you need a well-sized ship, but you need some basic crew positions like a Navigator, a Cook, and a Doctor."

"If we`re going after the One Piece we`re going to have to go there eventually," Zoro commented.

"You guys are talking crazy!" Coby shouted at the former Pirate Hunter.

"What are you two so worried about?" Zoro asked. "It`s not like you or Rain are coming with us."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Luffy said just as he stabbed a piece of meat. "Rain, you wanna join my crew?"

"You bet your Straw Hat I do!" I instantly yelled out. "Er, I mean, yeah."

"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed as he bit down on his piece of meat. "Now I have two crewmembers!"

"Even so, I`m still worried about you!" Coby exclaimed. "Is that so wrong? Can`t I worry about my friends?" Coby turned to face Luffy. "Luffy-san… even though we just met… we are friends, aren`t we?"

"Of course!" Luffy answered with his big smile. "Even though we`re going our separate ways, we`ll always be friends."

"You`re the first real friend I ever had," Coby said with tears in his eyes. "You were the first one who ever stood up for me. But the three of you… you taught me to live by my dream!"

"That`s why we`re heading for the Grand Line," Luffy commented.

"Yeah!" Zoro added.

"Yeah… that`s true…" Coby admitted. "No! Not! What I mean to say is that you`re too reckless, Luffy…"

"You`d better worry about yourself before you worry about us," Zoro quipped, tapping Coby lightly with one of his sword hilts. "Even though it was just being a chore boy, you were still part of a pirate crew. Don`t underestimate the Marines's ability to gather information. If they know about your past, they won`t let you enlist."

"Since we`re heading to the Grand Line, I think I heard of a place where we can get a chart," I said, smirking about where we`d be going next.

"Excuse me," a voice said, drawing our attention to the door. A dark skinned Marine with a black goatee and a dark green necktie around his neck. This was Commander Ripper, the Commander in charge after Morgan was detained. "You guys are pirates, right?"

"Yep," Luffy replied, "and I just got my first two crew members! That makes me an official Pirate Captain!"

"Hasn`t he heard the phrase 'Loose lips sink ships'?" I asked.

"You saved our town, and we are truly grateful," Commander Ripper said. "However, we are still Marines, and we cannot allow you to stay here any longer. I`ll have to ask you to leave. As for what happened here today, we won`t be reporting it to Marine headquarters."

"What kind of bullshit is that!" an angry villager exclaimed. "They saved this town! And they saved you as much as they saved us!"

"Then I guess we`ll be leaving," Luffy said, getting up from the table. "Thank you for the food ma`am."

"I`ll be right back, I need to get my things," I said, walking back to my room.

As I put my clothes and a few other things into a drawstring bag, I looked at the ring my Grandma got me. Or what it had been turned into. For whatever reason, it shattered shortly after I got here. I eventually got enough money to have it re-forged into a ring with a small wolf face added, but it just didn`t feel the same. Still, better than not having it. I slipped it on a sterling silver necklace chain I had also gotten and wore the ring proudly.

Just as I got everything packed up, I heard Coby yell "SHUT UP!" followed by a punch.

As I walked out, Luffy had Coby pinned and was punching him a few times.

"Both of you! Stop it!" Ripper ordered. "I won`t allow any more fights in this town!" Zoro walked forward and pulled Luffy off of Coby.

"I can tell he isn`t your friend," Ripper said. "Now please, leave this town immediately!"

Zoro dragged Luffy out the door and I walked next to Ripper. "Please make sure the town gets their taxes back. It would be the right thing to do," I said, walking out to catch up with Luffy and Zoro.

**-X-**

A little while later, we finally got to the docks where Luffy`s small boat was. Luckily, it looked big enough for the three of us.

"That was quite an act!" Zoro commented. "Even though he was a pirate, they won`t make a big deal about it."

"Yeah, but I`m glad Luffy`s a pirate, not an actor," I commented. "Luffy can`t lie for beans."

"Well, hopefully Coby will become stronger and more independent in the future!" Luffy said, smiling.

"We better get going, or else there`s no telling what else will happen!" Zoro commented.

"Not leaving anything behind, that`s what pirates do, isn`t it?" I asked.

"You got it!" Luffy said, pulling his small boat closer and untying it.

"L-LUFFY!" Coby yelled out, causing us to look at him. "THANK YOU VERY MUCH! I WILL NEVER FORGET WHAT YOU`VE DONE FOR ME!" Coby then saluted us.

"A Marine saluting pirates," Zoro observed. "Never seen that before."

"Prepare yourself for seeing a lot of new sights," I quipped as Luffy chuckled.

"Coby! We`ll meet again someday!" Luffy replied, waving back to his friend as we pushed off from the dock.

"ATTEN-TION!" a loud voice commanded. "GROUP SALUTE!" Then to all our surprise, Commander Ripper and all of the Marines gave us a simultaneous salute.

**-X-**

"Yahooo! We`re off!" Luffy cheered. "Grand Line, here we come!"

"So our crew so far is the future Pirate King, the future World`s Greatest Swordsman, and a dreamer of an adventurer," I commented.

"Sounds like a good start to me," Zoro replied, smiling.

Rain knew of what kind of challenges were to come, but what he couldn`t see coming was his own challenges would be just as difficult as any pirate fight…

**-X-**

After leaving Shells Town, we leave the town in the capable hands of Commander Ripper.

Next time, we head to Orange Town for a little encounter with the Thief named Nami.

Take care and please stay tuned!


End file.
